05-03-2008, 10:27 AM
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Gillett turns down £80m DIC offer for his Liverpool FC share
Quote:
GEORGE Gillett has turned down a vastly improved offer for Liverpool Football Club from Dubai International Capital.
Sources close to DIC said the proposed deal would have seen the American walk away with £80m profit, plus add- ons, after just over a year at the helm at Anfield, or £203,045 for each of the 394 days thus far he has been co- owner of the club.
But the revised offer was rejected by Gillett late last night and DIC indicated they would not be raising their offer again, even though they still maintain an interest in buying Liverpool.
Gillett instructed his lawyers to attend the meeting at a top London hotel on his behalf.
DIC was represented by Amanda Staveley.
Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry also attended, having been invited there by both DIC and Gillett to represent the best interests of the club.
Gillett was unable to attend in person as he is recovering from illness at his home in Vail, Colorado.
But he was in constant phone contact with all parties.
Sources close to Gillett dispute the £80m figure, insisting the offer would have given the American a profit closer to £40m.
But what is beyond any doubt is the fact that DIC raised their initial offer dramatically to try to take over his 50% stake.
With Tom Hicks still sticking to his guns and insisting he does not want to sell his stake, the future of Liverpool Football Club remains delicately poised.
Unless one of the parties gives some ground the present situation is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
The impasse has caused uproar among many Liverpool fans with the recently formed Spirit of Shankly group planning a protest against the club’s American owners during half-time at tonight’s Premiership home game with West Ham.
Spokesman Neil Atkinson today told the ECHO the time had now come for Gillett and Hicks to quit the club.
He said: “We can only urge Tom Hicks and George Gillett to take the DIC offer and leave Liverpool FC
“Al-Ansari talks about Tom Hicks’s valuation of the club being ‘in dreamland’; Mr Hicks is further in dreamland if he thinks he will ever be accepted at LFC.
“He’s a rich man, a business man, but surely, being as rich as he is, he wants to be able to enjoy his investments.
“If he tries to grin and bear it then it emphasises what we already know – he’s only in it for one reason: the money and the money alone.
“Let Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett go now with profit and a modicum of grace. Let us start again with new owners, keep our eyes open and work with them to get that family silver polished.”
Rogan Taylor, head of ShareliverpoolFC which has launched a fans’ buy-out bid, said: “We will continue to monitor this situation but it won’t lessen the effort and commitment we are putting into our serious and robust proposal.
“We would like to see the fans have a full and proper say in the running of their club. We are ready to talk to the owners about making that a reality.
“I strongly believe that ShareLiverpoolFC will have a significant role to play - we have strong momentum following launch and fans are joining by the hundreds on a daily basis.”
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